NASCAR tracks explained: From short tracks to superspeedways and everything in between

Running from February through November, the NASCAR season travels far and wide throughout the United States, hitting a number of different types of venues.

In total, NASCAR is set to utilize 33 different tracks across its three national series in 2026, ranging from short tracks to superspeedways. But what does any of that mean? Well, we’ve broken it down for you below.

How are NASCAR tracks categorized?

First and foremost, all NASCAR tracks are different. Whether it’s length, layout, surface type or the degree of banking, each track on the calendar has its own unique characteristics that make it what it is.

However, for categorization purposes, NASCAR generally groups its tracks based on length when it comes to ovals, with road courses given their own categorization.

So, in NASCAR, the four categories of race track are:

Short track: An oval track less than 1 mile in length.

Intermediate track: An oval track between 1 and 2 miles in length.

Superspeedway: An oval track longer than 2 miles in length.

Road Course: A non-oval track of any length that includes both left and right turns

Short Tracks

Here is a full list of the short tracks on the 2026 NASCAR calendar.

Intermediate tracks

Here is a full list of the intermediate tracks on the 2026 NASCAR calendar.

Superspeedways

Here is a full list of the superspeedways on the 2026 NASCAR calendar.

Road Courses

Here is a full list of the road courses on the 2026 NASCAR calendar.